Shade



A. C. HOUGH.

SHAD-E APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED mac. 1, 1920.

1 ,4; 1 4,020, Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- ATTORNEY.

WITNESS:

A. C. HOUGH.

SHADE APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- I, I920 1,414,020. Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR. W W 1 ATTORNEY.

WITNESS:

UNITED STATES AZEL C. HOUGH, OF JANESVILLE, VIISCONSIN'.

SHADE APPLIANCE.

-App1ication filed December 1, 1920.

To all whom may concern Be it known that I, Azni. C. Houon, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of J anesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Shade Appliance, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for use in connection with shades, and more especially those of the roll-up porch-shade type which consists of two woven slats, when such shades are located inside of buildings in the walls of which are set metallic window frames or sashes provided with hinged or pivoted ventilating sections, and consists essentially of certain peculiar upper, under or lower, and intermediate supporting, guiding, and restraining means for the shades, there being two or more of these devices for the shade for each window, all as hereinafter set forth.

The primary object of my invention is to provide supporting, guiding, and restraining means for shades on the inside of windows having metallic sashes and ventilating sections which open into the room, said sashes being embedded or set in brick or cement walls, which means enables the shades to hang clear of the windows so as not to interfere with the opening and closing of said ventilating sections, yet causes said shades to be drawn at the bottom inwardly or toward the windows or wall in such a manner as to exclude the light. These means or this appliance is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, can be installed readily, and. is highly efficient and entirely practicable. Shades mounted with the aid of these appliances in front of windows can be rolled up and unrolled at a sufiicient distance from the windows to permit the ventilating sections, with which such windows are provided, to be opened for the purpose of obtaining air from the'outside without interfering with the shades or with the use of the same, yet when the shades are let down they exclude the light at the bottom as well as above.

A further object is to provide an appliance of such a character that the shade supported thereby is prevented from being blown about by the wind, when the ventilating section of the window is open.

By making provision in my appliance for drawing the shade at the bottom toward the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

Serial No. 427,474.

sash or the wall in which the sash is set, and holding said bottom in such position, not only is complete protection from the suns rays afforded, in spite of the fact that the major portion of the shade stands out a considerable distance from the window, but the bottom portion of the shade is out of the way of a person walking past the same, so that such person is not liable to come into contact with the shade and thereby injure either himself or the shade.

Another object is to provide an appliance which enables the shade to be rolled up and down easily, and in the ordinary manner and by the usual means, without any extra atten tion on the part of the operator.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shade appliance (there being actually two of the individual devices), which embodies a practical form of my invention, showing the same applied to a window frame or sash, and an unrolled shade held in place by the appliance, a fragment of one corner of such shade being broken out to show in full the parts behind; Fig. 2, an end elevation of said appliance and the other elements shown in the first view; Fig. 3, an enlarged, end elevation, with intermediate portions broken out, of the parts and members illustrated .in the previews, the IOll i'l}? cord and one of zures therefor.whica areoniitted from Fig. 2, lming show u in this view, and, Fig. 4-, a section taken through the appliance on lines ie-4., looking in the direction of the as sociated arrow, in Fig. 3, and showing an inc side elevation of portion of the shade which adjacent to one end thereof, horizontal portions being broken out.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the following descriptioiii the terms front and rear, inside and outside, or equivalent expressions, applied to the elements illustrated in the drawings, indicate respectively the side of such elements that is toward the center of the room in which they are located, and the side of such elements that is next to the adjacent wall of said room and the window or sash set therein.

'jecting or extending arm 10.

In the drawings a. shade is represented at 1, and the same is shown unrolled practically to its full extent, or as far as it is intended the same shall be unrolled and in position completely to screen the room from the suns rays through the window in connection with which the shade is employed. A roll-up cord for the shade 1 is represented at 2 in Figs. 1., 3, and a, the same being omitted from Fig. 2 for the sake of elearness in illustrating the construction of the shade appliance. There is also represented a steel or other metallic frame or sash 3, of a window indicated by dotted lines in the first View, which sash is provided in the center with a ventilator section or ventilator 4. The ventilator 4t at each end is pivotally connected,

as at 5,-with an adjacent vertical rail of the sash. Tl'ieaarial line or the pivots, by means of which the ventilator a is connected with the window sash or with two of the rails thereof, is near the horizontal center of said ventilator, so that the latter can be tilted inwardly at the top and outwardly at the bot tom *tor the admission of air, or it 'might be at the top, bottom, or side.

Sashes having pivotally-connected ventilater sections, such as I have described above, are commonly used in the construction of concrete and'brick buildings'wherein no wood isemployed.

Ordinarily one ofmy appliances adjacent to each endota shade is suflicient, but in case the width'ot the sash is such as to require a shade of unusual width one or more intermediate appliances may, of course, be

provided.

The shade 1 is provided \Vlilll the usual reinforcing moulding strlps 6 at the top and bottom, and said shade may be attached at "he top to the appliances directly by means ot the top moulding, but I prefer to provide such moulding with an auxiliary strip 7, and to 'use this as the direct, top attachment member, inasmuch as said strip adds to the strength and stability oi": the shade at the attaching edge thereof, and affords a better medium for attaching purposes.

Each individual appliance comprises a horizontal support or brricketS for the top of the shade l, and a supporting guide 9 having an upwardly and forwardly pro Although the bracket 8 and the guide 9 might-be attached to the wall of the building at points adjacent to the sash 3, in this case they are attached to said sash. The back end of the bracket 8 and the corresponding end of the guide 9 are rigidly attached by some suitable means, as screws 11, to the sides of the bracket.

sash The brackets 8 and the guides 9 respectively constitute upper fixed means for the support or suspension of the shade, and lower fixed means for guiding said shade.

At the free end of each bracket 8 is :1 depending member 12, and this has a flange 13 that extends beneath the body of said The strip 7 is received on the flange 13 between the same and the bottom edge of the bracket 8, against the rear edge of thedepending part 12, and is there secured by any suitable means, provided such strip cannot be wedged sufficiently tightly and securely into place.

The arm 10 of each guide 9 curves upwardly and forwardly or away from the sash 3.

Front and rear, connecting guide aindsupporting or restraining members 14; and 15, respectively, in the form of wires, cords,

or equivalent elements,-complete the appliance in each case. The connecting member 1a is attached at its upper end to the de-' pending part 12 at the free end of the bracket 8, and at the lowercnd, after passing downwardly and rearwardly in "frontot the arm 10, to aiixed part above the floor, being in this case attached-to the gUIClG 9 in front; while the upp'erend of the-connecting member 15 is attached directly to the body of said bracket back of said depending part,-and the lower end to the top-of said arm. Thus the connectinganembers 14: and 15 are spaced apart and the member 1a is spaced from the guide arm 10, so that a passage is formed for the shade 1 between the bracket 8 and the guide 9. The lower portion of the passage thus formed has the general shape of thearm 10, which latter constitutes one boundary oi? snch passage at p the lower terminal thereof. Consequently said passage deflected from its straight, vertical course as the lower end is approached, and said end is located back of the 'vertical-olane inndiich theoointot sus vension ofthe shade located, or between such 1 ohms and the sash The aforesaid assa 'e is indicated bythe numeralYLS. The members 14 and 15 constitute'jintermediate fixed means for guiding the shade.

The shade is supoorted b means of the ii a V strip 7 on the-flanges 13 otthe brackets 8, between the connecting members i l and 1:5 in the twopairs, in the passages 16 of which mention has just been made there being a passage in each appliance, of course, and'is adapted to be rolled upand down in. said passages, being guided and restrained'in its ascent and descent by said connecting members and'the arm 10. 7

When the shade l) is unrelled and the bottom portion thereof permitted to descend, it passesdown between the connecting members 14 and 15 in the two pairs, and then between the continuations of. the two longer members 14 and the two arms 10 of the two guides 9, into the position shown in the drawings. The bottom of the shade descends perpendicularly until it arrives at the curved or deflected portions of the passages 16, and then said bottom is guided rearwardly toward the wall, or the sash 3 at or adjacent to the bottom thereof. Thus the lower portion of the unwound shade is held out of the way of a passerby, yet at the same time ample space is left between the shade above and the window for the ventilator 4 to be opened and to remain open, and the sunlight is excluded practically to the same extent that it would be if such shade were suspended. close to or even in contact with the sash 3 or the window of whch said sash forms a part.

The shade 1 should be of sufficient length so that it does not entirely unroll when let down. Thus the nucleus of a roll is always present at the bottom of the unrolled shade to facilitate the rolling-up operation at the start, whereby friction, that otherwise would be present at that time, is entirely eliminated or avoided. This bottom roll is on the outside of the shade or the side which is toward the window, and the fixtures, represented at 17, for the roll-up cord 2, are also on the same side, for reasons which will presently be explained.

When the shade 1 is rolled up, what may be termed the permanent roll, of which mention has just been made, starts from points in or adjacent to the bottoms of the passages 16, to ascend and increase in size, and continues upwardly through said passages, including the vertcal portions of such passages, until the full or complete roll arrives at the brackets 8, unless it be desired to leave the shade part way down, since in rolling up or unrolling the shade the roll can be left at any desired intermediate point of elevation.

The connecting members 14 and 15 and the'arm 1O afford ample means for guiding the shade in both the rolling up and unrolling operations. In this connection it is in teresting to note that, when the shade is in the act of being rolled up, it does not touch the arm 10 or the member 15, provided the permanent roll and the fixtures 17 be on the inside of said shade, but is in constant con tact with the member A; while, as a matter of fact, if said fix ures were on the outside of the shade, and an attempt were made to roll up the shade from the outside, the friction would be so great as to render such attempt extremely difficult, and if persisted in would result in the destruction of the shade in a short time.

The arm 10 and the member 15 are necessary, in spite of the fact that ordinarily the shade does not come into contact with them,

because, in the event the shade be rolled up violently, it would be lable to rub against the ventilator 1, if the latter were open, and so sustain injury, and, again, wind blowing out of the room, through the open ventilator, would dash the shade against said ventilator and soon bring about its destruction. F or these and other reasons that will occur to one skilled in the art, it will be seen that the arm 10 and the member 15 are necessary to the complete success of my invention, and, therefore, necessary elements in said invention.

Although the shade contacts wit-h the member 1 1, during the rolling and unrolling operations, such contact is so comparatively slight that practically no friction is produced.

The cord 2 is manipulated in the customary manner for rolling the shade and permitting the same to unroll, through the medium of the loop 18 back of said shade.

The thickness of the shade 1 and that of some of the other parts and members may appear somewhat exaggerated in the drawings, but it will be understood that, in practice, all of the parts and members are so proportioned to each other as to enable said shade to be rolled up and unrolled within the spaces provided by the appliances.

Owing to the construction whereby the passages 16 are deflected at their lower ter- Ininal, and then approach the wall above the floor, the shade when let down or unrolled is caused to assume the most desirable and eflicient form or position at the bottom, being as it is drawn in from the perpendicular in a gentle or easy curve, toward the approximate bottom of the window, and, furthermore, the natural and normal operation of the shade is not interfered with.

The shade, for which this appliance is provided, is of the usual roll-up, wovenslat variety, as distinct from the folding, tilting, collapsible, or Venetian variety. In other words, the shade, that is capable of being used with the present appliance is made of slats, usually of wood, which form the weft, and interwoven fabric strands, which form the warp, such slats having their sides in two. parallel. planes, to each of which planes corresponding sides of the slats are common, when the shade is unrolled, and such slats being spaced from each other at their longitudinal edges, and by the interwoven warp strands only.

More or less change in the shape, size, construction, and arrangement of someor all of the parts'of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit of said invention or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to s e by Letters Patent, is

1. shade appliance eon'lprising upper and lowerfixed means, adapted :to be sup ported by a window sash, \VlllCll form supports and guides adapted to receive portions ofia fiexibleshade adjacent to the lateral edges thereof, such means above being projected beyond the plane of such sash, and below deflected toward such plane.

2. A shade appliance comprising upper and lower fixed means, adapted to be supported by a window sash, which form supportsand guides adaptedto receive portions of a flexible shade adjacent to the lateral edges thereof, such means above being proected beyond the plane of the face of such sash, and below out of the vertical plane in which are located the points ofsuspension of the shade.

3. A shade appliance comprising upper,

lower, and intermediatefixed means, adapted to be :supported from a window sash,

which form supports and guides adapted (to receive portions'of a flexible shade adjacent to the lateral edges thereof, such means above being ;projected beyond the plane of the face of such sash, and below deflected toward such plane.

at. A shade appliance comprising upper, l0wer,,and intermediate fixed means, adapted .to :be supported from a window sash, which form supports andguides adapted to receive portionsiofia flexible shade adjacent to the lateral edges thereof, such means above being projected beyond the plane of the face of such sash, andbelow out of the vertical planelin which. are located thepoints of suspension of the shade.

5. A shade appliance comprising upper,

:lower, and intermediate means, adapted to be su aor'ted from a window sash which form su aortsando Bll SlClGCl 'uides ada 3ted to receiveportions of a flexible shade adacent t0 the lateral edgesthereoil', the lower portions of such .means and the passages therein belng deflected.

6. A shade appliance comprising upper,

llower, and'intermediateimeans, adapted to be supported from a window sash, which form supports. and open-sided guides adapted to receive portions of a flexible shade adj acent:to thedateral edges thereof, the lower "portions ofsuch means and the passages thereinzbeing out of the vertical plane in which arelocated the points'of supportfor the shade above.

7 wrr shade appliance comprising means to suspend a flexible shade at the top, said meanszloeing adapted to'be supported by a window sash, means to receive and guide portions of said shade, adjacent'to'the lateral edgesthereof, perpendicularlyfor a portion of itslengthwhenilet down, said lastnamed means being supported by said first- :named meansin front of the planeofthe face of such sash, and means to receive and guide portions of said shade, ad acent to said lateral edges, at the bottom, as the shade continues to 'unroll, out of the perpendicular, said last-named means also being adapted to be supported by such sash.

8. A shade appliancecomprising means to suspend shade at the top, means open on .both sides to receive portions of said shade, iuljacent to the lateral edges thereof, and guide perpendicularly the shade for a portion of its length, and similar means to reformedin which a roll-up shade isguided. in

its movement up and down into and out of the perpendicular, and when unrolled the vertical part of said shade 1S restra ned from movement either forwardly or rearwardly beyond the limits fixed bysaid connecting members and arm.

10. The combination, with a roll-up shade having a strip at the top, of an appliance for such shade, saidapplianceconsist ng of ap iiroximately horlzontal brackets attachable to a fixed support andihaving supporting members for .said strip, guides alsoat- .tachable-to a fixed support and having arms .WlllCll extend-upwardly and away from said supporaand members connectin said brackcts with said guldes and arms, whereby guiding and restraining means are provided for said shade while being rolled and unrolled and while in the latter condition,

11. The combination, with a sash provided with a movable ventilator and a roll-up shade, of a shade appllance comprising fixed,

.upper, lower, and gii'itermediate, supporting,

guiding, and restraining means for said shade, such means helng adapted to besupported from a window sash,'to project beyond the plane of theface of such sash, and to engage said shadeladjacent to the lateral edges thereof, and the lower portionof such means being deflected to carry toward said plane the lower portlon of the shade when .let down in frontiof said ventilator.

12. The combination, with a sash provided with a movable ventilator section, of approximately horizontal brackets supported by a-fixed member, guides also supported from a fixed member and having arms which extend upwardly and away from thesame, said brackets and. guides-being fixed, connecting members between said brackets and I said arms, and a roll-up shade supported at the top by said brackets, said arms and connecting members "forming guide means, which is open on both sides, for said shade when rolled and unrolled and while in the latter condition, whereby clearance is afforded for said ventilator section, and the bottom portion of the shade may be held 1n adjacent to the vertical plane of said sash.

13. A shade appliance consisting of an approximately horizontal bracket attachable to a lined support, said bracket having a downwardly extending part at its free end, and a flange at the bottom of such part and extending toward said support, a guide also attachable to a fixed support and having an arm which extends upwardly and away from said support, and connecting members between said bracket and said guide and arm, the arrangement and construction of parts being such that a course is defined for a shade supported by said brackets, which course extends perp-ndicularly downwardly for a distance and then departs from the perpendicular.

1d. The combination, with a shade appliance comprising fixed, upper, lower, and intermediate, supporting, guiding, and restraining means for a shade, such means being adapted to be supported from a window sash, to project beyond the plane of the face oi such sash, and to engage the shade adj acent to the lateral edges thereof, of a support for said appliance, and a roll-up shade carried by said appliance and provided with means to roll the same from the bottom on the side adjacent to said support, the lower portion of the aforesaid means being de flected to carry toward said plane the lower portion of the shade when suspended in 'lTT'Olltoi? said support.

15. The combination, with a sash provided with a movable ventilator, and a roll-up shade, of a shade appliance comprising lined, upper, lower, and intermediate, supporting, guiding, and restraining means for said shade, such means being adapted to be supported from a window sash to project beyond the plane of the face of such sash, and to engage the shade adjacent to the lateral edges thereof, the lower portion of said means being deflected to carry toward said plane the lower portion of the shade when led down in front of said ventilator, and said shade being of sufficient length to maintain a roll at the bottom thereof when let down.

16. The combination, with a sash provided with a movable ventilator, a roll-up shade having on the inside thereof fixtures for a roll up cord, and a roll-up cord, of a shade appliance comprising fixed, upper, lower, and intermediate, supporting, guiding, and restraining means for said shade, such means being adapted to be supported from a window sash, to project beyond the plane of the face of such sash, and to engage the shade adjacent to the lateral edges thereoil and the lower portion of said means being deflected to carry toward said plane the lower portion of the shade when let down in front of said ventilator.

17. The combination, with a window sash provided with a movable ventilator, and a roll-up shade having on the inside thereof fixtures for a roll-up cord, and a roll-up cord, of a shade appliance comprising fixed upper, lower, and intermediate, supporting, guiding, and restraining means for said shade, said means being adapted to be supported. from said sash, and the lower portion of the same being deflected to carry toward the vertical plane of said sash the lower portion of the shade when suspended in frontof said ventilator, and said shade being of sufiicient length to maintain a permanent roll at the bottom when let down.

18. A shade appliance comprising means to suspend a shade at the top, means to engage said shade adjacent to its ends and guide the same perpendicularly for a portion. of its length, when the shade is raised or lowered, and means open on both sides to receive the shade adjacent to its ends and guide the bottom portion thereof out of the perpendicular, when the same is raised or lowered, said suspending and guiding means constituting a unitary structure applicable to a window sash.

1.9. A shade appliance comprising means to suspend a shade at the top, means open on both sides to receive the shade adjacent to its ends, and guide the same perpendicularly for a portion of its length, when said shade is raised or lowered, and means also open on both sides to receive the shade adja cent to its ends and guide the bottom portion thereof out of the perpendicular, when the same is raised or lowered, said suspending and guiding means constituting a unitary structure applicable to a window sash.

AZEL C. HOUGH.

Witnesses:

HAZEL'T. WEIRICK, LYDIA R. Sonoorr. 

